ABSTRACT
Understanding the crisis model lays the foundation for assessing people at risk. The focus in this chapter is on the interpersonal context of crisis care and on specific strategies for assisting people who are acutely upset. Specifically, communication and rapport, planning, contracting, and working through the crisis toward a positive outcome will be discussed. The principles and techniques suggested can be applied in a wide variety of crisis intervention settings: primary care agencies, homes, hospitals, clinics, hotlines, and alternative crisis services. These principles and techniques can be varied and adapted according to professional training, personal preference, and setting, but the fundamental ideas remain the same.
